To what extent do companies rely on structured sales approaches or rather on sales representatives’ personal intuition to conduct sales? What is the role of sales tools in supporting companies’ sales approaches?

Motivation and goal of this study

Selling has long been considered as an “art” driven by selling skills such as interpersonal skills used to persuade potential customers and adapt sales strategies to the context. However, in today’s competitive environment, sales experts and scholars are promoting a more scientific approach that relies on documented and repeatable ways of selling that reflect scientific methods through three components : a structured sales process, performance indicators and sales tools. According to recent studies, 90% of companies who have adopted a structured sales approach have better sales results and are more competitive. The challenge for companies it to find the appropriate balance between “artistic” and “scientific” approaches to reach their goals.

Following these four components (i.e., selling skills, sales process, sales tools and performance management), this study investigates the characteristics and maturity of sales approaches across different industries. While most of the companies have adopted sales tools (e.g., Customer Relationship Management (CRMs)), we seek to understand how these are actually used and to what extent they support a company’s sales approach. We are thereby interested in to what extent companies rely more on an “artistic” or a “scientific” approach to sales.

How to participate?

• Use the following link
• If you prefer a phone interview, do not hesitate to write us and we will set up an appointment at your convenience.

Your take-away

In exchange to your participation, we will provide you with a personalized report describing 1) the consistency of your sales approach’s balance between “art” and “science”, 2) the gaps between your sales strategy / approach and its operationalization (e.g., your performance indicators do not measure what they should in order to ensure the execution of your sales strategy / approach), 3) a comparison between top performers’ sales approaches and yours across the four components:

• Selling skills: What types of skills, techniques and knowledge are used by sales representatives during a sale?
• Sales process: Does your company rely on sales techniques and processes that provide defined steps from identifying customers to closing a sale?
• Sales tools: Do your sales representatives use sales tools to document and support sales activities?
• Performance management: Does your company have performance indicators that indicate what to do in order to close a sale?

Target audience and focus of this research?

This research mainly focuses on the customer loyalty from identifying customers to closing a sale. We mainly look at B2B, possibly in retail industries where sales representatives are part of the sales process.

We are interested to collect information from sales directors and managers as well as from sales representatives. IT managers (e.g., head of CRM) and consultants are also welcome to participate.

Methodology

In order to analyze and investigate companies’ sales level maturity, we designed a questionnaire that comprises six parts:

• Company’s profile: Industry sector, size of your company, product/service, customer segments, sales targets
• Your profile: position in the company, areas of responsibility
• Selling skills: What types of selling skills are required, to what extent do they matter for your company
• Sales process: characteristics of the sales process, sales activities
• Sales tools: use of sales tools in the sales process, satisfaction and role of emerging technologies
• Performance management: use of KPIs, characteristics of KPIs.

Filling the questionnaire requires approximately 45 minutes.

Data collection, treatment and confidentiality

• Data is anonymous, your company’s name is only used to identify when two people from the same company participate.
• Data will only be accessed and treated by Professors and researchers from the Department of Information Systems at the University of Lausanne’s Faculty of Business and Economics (HEC).
• In its aggregated form (e.g., per industry type, size), data will serve as empirical evidences for scientific and practitioner publications.
• Data is collected through Qualtrics Survey Software. Qualtrics complies with the U.S. and E.U. Safe Harbor Framework and the U.S.and Swiss Safe Harbor Framework as set forth by the U.S. Department of Commerce regarding the collection, use and retention of personal information from European Union member countries and Switzerland.

Researchers responsible for this study

Christine Legner

University of Lausanne – Faculty of Business and Economics
Professor in information systems
christine.legner@unil.ch

Thomas Boillat

University of Lausanne – Faculty of Business and Economics
Doctoral researcher in information systems
thomas.boillat@unil.ch
+41 21 692 34 98